Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-09-23
PROPOSED PENSION CHANGES.
Suggestion by Gen. Black I'm His An
nuRI Report,

Suggestion by Gen. Black I'm His An
nuaI Report.
Gen. John c. Black, commissioner Of PEN
sions, in his annual report to the secretary Of
the Interior makes the following important
suggestions:
/. That the allowance Of SO per month to
minor children be increased to s. per month.
2 That the act of June IL, 1880, be 50
amended as to permit the benefits OF the act
to be extended to those who, subsequent to
the date of its approval, from aggfayatlon OF
their malady may become helpless.
8. That the existing law, that a widows
pension certificates can only bear date from
the day on which she files her application,
should be amended to allow the commence
ment of the pension to date from the death
of the husband, the other conditions required
by law being present
H. That sec. 47lS of the Revised Statutes
be so amended as to prohibit the payment OF
more than one pension to the same person.
g. That the law requiring pension to be
graded according to the rank of the claimant
at the time the injury was received should
be amended 80 that the rank subsequently
| acquired bona fide may be considered by the
| commissioner in determining the amount OF
pension to be allowed
g. That the present rate for deafness
should be increased by law to $50 per month
for total deafness, with intermediate grades
to be determined according to the degree OF
disability. Il Y
I. That discretion should be lodged in the
commissioner in correcting discrepancies in
| rates of pension for loss of limbs, or Congress
| should be asked to establish table OF rates
for loss of limbs.
8. That the law be amended so that the
| commissioner shall be authorized to pay thc
| pension to the wife of a Pensioner, or to
suitable person on behalf Of his children,
when the habits Of the pensioner show him to
| be an unfit person to receive or disburse the
| pension.
The report shows that there were at the
| close of the year 406, ,0H pensioners classified
as follows: 29i, AS army invalids, u, ,OlO army
| widows, minor children and dependent rela-
| tives, 1881 navy invalids, 1913 navy widows,
minor children and dependent relatives, 1869
| survivors Of the war Of 1912, and II ,8Sl wild
| ows of those who served in that war; 1903
| survivors of the war with Mexico, and S95
| widows of those who served in said war.
| There were added to the rolls during the year
| the names Of 55, ,194 new pensioners, and the
names of 2707 whose pensions hav+ been pre-
| viously dropped were restored to the rolls.
| During the same period the names Of 1877
pensioners were dropped from the rolls for
| various causes.
The average annual value Of each pension
at the close of the year is shown to be $3.50. lO,
| a gain of average annual value over last year
| Of $7.S7. The amount paid for pensions dur
ing the year was s73, AS, ,5S1, an increase in
amount over the previous year OF $1,000, $50.
| The amount paid to 44,0l9 new pensioners
during the year upon first payment was $685.
1866 go, and there remained in the hands of
the several pension agents Sl4,6S3 Of this
class unpaid at the close of business on June
30, on which there was due 81, ,9@4, ,783 1t ap-
| pears that, in the aggregate, WI ,2OO pen
| sion claims have been filed since 1851, and in
the same period 676, ,948 claims of all classes
have been allowed. During the past year
SIS, ,194 original certificates were issued,
| greater number than was ever before issued
by the bureau in any one year.
| The commissioner in his estimates for the
coming wear asks for two additional chiefs
of division at $1,000 each per annum, 90 ad-
ditional clerks at $1,000 each per annum.
Following are the estimates of the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1888: Salaries, 81, Ia
$50; investigation of pension claims, S5S5
SG8, 500; pensions, S75, ,OO0, 900 examining sur
geons, 81, 600, 900; pension agents and agen-
cies, S3l2, 400 Total, s79,045,230. The aP-
preparation for the last fiscal year was s7s,-
| 701 .250